Package for sphere-like articles



July 31 1962 s. ROBINS PACKAGE FOR SPHERE-LIKE ARTICLES Filed June 28, 1961 G GG LC n u LC Q QUCC w AU 3302. F 4 Wyn fi .3 3 a 2% 6 2 4 2, m

INVENTOR KARI. LURTLOCKS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,ll47,14tl PACMGE FGR SPHERE-LIKE ARTKCLES Seymonr Robins, New York, N.Y., assignor to Diamond National Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 28, 1961, er. No. 120,325 2 Claims. C1. 205-55) This invention relates generally to packages and more particularly to a novel merchandising package for spherelike articles such as golf balls or the like.

It has been the common practice to package and merchandise golf balls in units of three balls to a package, and the practice has generally been to provide a paperboard container having a transparent cover of cellophane, or similar material, so that the contents of the package can be observed. Prior art packages generally do not form an integral unit with the golf balls being packaged, and thus, the golf balls, when carried in a golfers bag, are subject to being shaken around in the package and the packages are relatively expensive to manufacture.

The primary object of the present invention is to produce an attractive, inexpensive, commercial package which substantially protects the contents of the package and forms the package with the articles being packed in the package.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide an improved package comprising a one-piece shrunken sleeve retaining in situ protecting end caps and forming with the articles being packed a highly desirable and satisfactory package unit.

Other objects and the nature and advantages of the instant invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the novel package of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken substantially'on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the novel package; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of portions of the covering of the novel package, with the spherical articles being package removed, in order to show the configuration of the covering material of the package.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the package of the invention is indicated generally at Ill and comprises a plurality of sphere-like articles 12, such as golf balls or the like, which are disposed in a single row on a common axis indicated at 14 in FIG. 2. The balls 12 are drawn into tangential or abutting relationship 'as indicated at 16 and are retained in this condition by means of a onepiece sleeve or sheath 18. The sleeve 18 comprises a suitable, shrinkable plastic material, which is preferably transparent in order to permit an individual to observe the contents of the package. Disposed over the opposite ends of the golf balls, at each end of the package, are concavo-convex end caps 20 which conform to the outer surface of the end-most golf balls and which are preferably produced from a suitable, transparent plastic material.

The sleeve 18 will terminally overlap at 22 the outer arm Patented July 31, 1962 periphery 24 of the end caps and will retain the end caps in situ.

Initially, the sleeve 13 is of a uniform diameter larger than the golf balls, and is slipped over the golf balls, and sufiicient material is provided to form the terminal overlap 22. The sleeve 18 is then shrunk by means of a hot blast of air, for example, or in any other suitable mannor, whereby it will closely adhere to an intermediate portion of the golf balls as indicated at 26, the intermediate portions 28 of the sleeve, after the shrinking occurs, forming a hyperbolic cylinder or hour glass shape.

in order to facilitate rupturing of the package to gain access to the golf balls 12, the sleeve 18 has formed therein circumferential tear lines or serrated portions 30 between adjacent golf balls.

After the package is formed in the manner mentioned, a transparent sleeve is used, the golf balls and the indicia thereon can be readily observed, the finish of the golf balls will be protected when they are jostled around in a golfers bag, and the materials used to form the package are relatively inexpansible, readily applied, and highly desirable.

it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and therefore the invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A package for golf balls or the like comprising a plurality of sphere-like articles disposed in a row on a common axis, a one-piece unseamed, tubular sleeve circumposed about said spherelike articles and retaining them in linear relation on said common axis, and semispherical end caps at opposite ends of said package in juxtaposed relation on the sphere-like articles at said opposite ends, said tubular sleeve terminally overlapping the outer periphery of said end caps and retaining them in situ, said sleeve comprising a diametrically and longitudinally shrunken, plastic material closely adhering to an intermediate, circumferential portion of said spherelike articles and conforming to the intermediate outer surface portion thereof, portions of said sleeve between said circumferential portions comprising hyperbolic cylinders, said sphere-like articles being drawn into abutting relation by said shrunken sleeve whereby one of said sphere-like articles may be separated by severing it from said package and the package still remains intact.

2. A package for golf balls or the like as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sleeve includes a circumferential score line formed intermediately of said hyperbolic cylinders between said adjacent sphere-like articles to facilitate tearing of the sleeve to gain ready access to one of said sphere-like articles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,685,392 Beadle Sept. 25, 1928 1,842,205 Russell Jan. 19, 1932 1,955,851 Heller Apr. 24, 1934 2,554,841 Rumsey May 29, 1951 2,954,139 Owens Sept. 27, 1960 

